The Texas Rangers will be without a key player with a history of delivering clutch hits against the Seattle Mariners for the remainder of a crucial three-game series between the American League West rivals. Switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim has been placed on the paternity list before the second game of the series, as announced by the Rangers on Saturday. Heim, 28, has a season slash line of .234/.278/.342 with six doubles, six home runs, and 31 RBIs in 61 games this year. In his 45 career games against Seattle, Heim has hit .257/.295/.439 with 12 doubles, five home runs, and 31 RBIs, making it one of his best matchups over his five-year career. He has notably hit two clutch two-run homers in a single game against the Mariners in 2021, including a game-tying blast and a walk-off in extra innings.
To fill Heim’s spot on the roster, the Rangers have called up former top prospect Sam Huff. Huff was ranked as a top-100 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2020 and 2021 but has seen limited playing time in the majors since his debut in 2022. In his 76 games in parts of four big-league seasons, Huff has a solid .262/.314/.462 slash line with nine doubles, 10 home runs, and 20 RBIs. He has only played once this season and has yet to have a plate appearance. While playing for the Triple-A Round Rock Express, Huff had a season slash line of .244/.333/.428 with 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 32 RBIs in 49 games.
For more Seattle Mariners news and updates, you can follow @ZacHereth. The Mariners recently opened a key series with a 3-2 victory over the Rangers, and Mitch Garver greeted his former team with a game-tying home run. The series win against the Rangers underscored the urgency for success this season. If you want to see Luis Robert’s bat in the Mariners lineup, it may not be the right fit. The Mariners have also called up a reliever ahead of their big series against Texas. Lastly, Mariners rookie Tyler Locklear hit his first career home run, showcasing his potential in the lineup.